Physical: Asia’s Team Mongolia Is Everyone’s New Obsession — Here’s What To Know About Them
Fun fact: Team leader Bayarsaikhan Orkhonbayar is an Ariana Grande fan
By Lek Xuan Ping -
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Physical: Asia has finally come to an end after weeks of brutal, high-intensity challenges. While Team Korea has been crowned the winner, Team Mongolia fought their way through the grueling competition to secure an impressive second-place finish.
They might not have taken home the gold, but they certainly won the hearts of many (yes, ours too) and quickly became fan favourites. Known for their sheer strength, tenacity, and impressive grit, Team Mongolia made waves around the world. Their impact even earned them a special national honour from Mongolia’s President, Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, in recognition of their contribution to representing Mongolia on the global stage and making their people proud.
Bayarsaikhan Orkhonbayar, 27, Bokh wrestler
He may be a man of few words, but this guy was just exuding aura throughout the show. At just 27 years old, Orkhonbayar led Team Mongolia to the finals with steady composure and a remarkable ability to bring his team together as one, even when facing the toughest opponents. As a leader, he draws strength not just from his athletic ability, but from the deep cultural pride he carries.
He practices Bokh, a traditional Mongolian wrestling sport believed to have originated during the era of Genghis Khan, who used it to keep warriors strong and prepared for battles. For Orkhonbayar, choosing bokh was a decision rooted in national pride, as the sport remains a central pillar of Mongolian identity.
As his father was a police officer, Orkhonbayar once hoped to follow in his father’s footsteps. Despite his athletic and strong physique, he cheekily said that the favourite part of his body is his brain — a wink at the strategic mindset that helped guide the team through the competition. Outside of training, Orkhonbayar is devoted to environmental causes as well. As part of Mongolia’s national “1 Billion Trees” programme, he has planted trees in Ulaanbaatar’s Central Park and over 1000 trees in his hometown in Selenge province. Here’s another fun fact: he’s an unabashed Ariana Grande fan and even named her as his dream celeb date. Relatable.
Just like his rival-turned-off-screen buddy Amotti, Orkhonbayar is stepping into an exciting new chapter — fatherhood. He shared the heartwarming news on Amotti’s vlog, posted on Nov 20. Check out the video below.
Baatarkhuu Enkh-Orgil, 37, MMA fighter
Given his rugged look, producers practically begged Enkh-Orgil not to get a haircut or shave to retain his unique appearance. As a result, he was the only contestant in the entire season who didn’t receive any makeup or hair touch-ups during shoots.
Growing up, Enkh-Orgil herded sheep and goats and rode horses. In school, he enjoyed geography, history and physical education. He grew up in the countryside, surrounded by the vast and rugged steppes of Khovd. Later on, he started training in taekwondo and eventually qualified for a major tournament in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar. (Source: One Championship)
Coming from a humble background, his mother was supportive of his dreams and even took out a loan worth three months of her salary to send him to the competition. However, while waiting for the opening ceremony, he decided to tour the city and have lunch with his brother. Unfortunately, he missed his match and was disqualified from competing for the gold and silver medals, leaving bronze as his only option. Determined not to let his parents down, he pushed through and ultimately won the bronze medal.
Although he is currently not married, rumour has it that the 37-year-old MMA fighter has a crush on Team Korea’s wrestler, Eun-sil. He recently shared a cheeky selfie with her, captioning it: “I always look at her with eyes full of love but she doesn’t know it yet.”
Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan, 25, Judoka
At just 25 years old, Amarsaikhan already has several judo bronze and silver medals under her belt. Interestingly, she actually chose judo because the uniform was less revealing than the one used in freestyle wrestling.
A fan of spicy food, she enjoyed most of the food she had when filming the show. She particularly enjoyed Buuz, a traditional mongolian steamed dumpling. The dish was served during the “last supper” segment before the final challenge.
In a team interview, her team were asked, “Who was the best team member?” and they immediately pointed to her. She was genuinely shocked because she never expected to be chosen. She was only focused on completing what she needed to do and not to drag her team down so she was really touched and nearly cried on the spot.
Lkhagva-Ochir Erdene-Ochir, 38, circus artist
Erdene-Ochier wowed us with his amazing agility and endurance on the hanging rope challenge, which is no surprise since he started his career in a circus in 1997. He began training as a contortionist at just nine years old at the National Circus of Mongolia after his uncle, a talent scout, recognised his talent.
He later joined the renowned Human Rose contortion studio, where he now passes on his craft to a new generation of contortionists along with coach B. Norovsambuu. His impressive talent and contributions to Mongolian performing arts have earned him two of the nation’s highest honours: the Polar Star Medal and the title of Honoured Artist of Mongolia.
Beyond the circus ring, Erdene-Ochir also models and acts in Mongolian shows and films. Some of his recent works include Love Story (2024) and The Pattern of My Silk (2023).
He is married to a fellow circus artist, and together, they have four daughters. His career has also taken him across the globe as he has travelled extensively for performances and training. This includes visiting 20 different cities across Canada.
Enkhbat Dulguun, 33, basketball player
Dulguun, one of Mongolia’s most distinguished basketball players, hails from the vibrant capital city of Ulaanbatar. He started his career in 2012 and is a member of the Mongolian 3x3 national team.
Beyond his achievements on the court, he is also a devoted family man. He is married to Puje Bat-Erdene, and together they have three children. Dulguun proudly shared the births of their first son on Jun 29 2016, and their second son on Jan 22, 2018. He celebrated both moments with heartfelt posts on Facebook.
Khandsuren Gantogtokh, 28, also known as Handa, volleyball player
Coming from a family of sportsmen, fitness runs in Handa’s blood. Both her father, Bayanmönkhiin Gantogtokh and grandfather, Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh, were esteemed Bokh wrestlers.
However, she took a different path and picked up volleyball at a young age. She began her career with the Mongolian club Tenuun-Ogoo Sport Club and has been part of the Mongolia’s national team since 2015. Thereafter, she took her career to the next level by playing in Japan, Taiwan and Philippines.
Earlier this year, she signed with the Tokyo Sunbeams in Japan’s V.League, marking yet another milestone in her growing international career.